Category: Pop Culture

Categories
Neocicada Pop Culture

Welcome to the aboveground world, brave voyager (Neocicada hieroglyphica)

Behold! The vacant skin of a Hieroglyphic Cicada (aka Neocicada hieroglyphica) anchored to the bark of a tree in the heart of the New Jersey Pine Barrens!

Zoom in!!

IMG_0275 Inside Neocicada Exuvia

Can you see the holes that once supported the legs of the cicada? See the thin, white filaments? Those were its breathing tubes. Imagination time! Compare a cicada to a deep sea diver or astronaut. A cicada’s old nymphal skin aka shell, husk or officially an exuvia, supported its body during its long journey through the underground — and then one day, one moment, it left its old skin to face the aboveground world as an adult, winged, brave and daring (this is my blog and I will personify cicadas if I like) cicada.

Science fiction writers and artists could draw inspiration from the cicada’s temporary, underground skin survival suit. Imagine the nymph phase as a miner tunneling through the soils an exotic planet looking for precious jewels — once it finds its treasure, it leaves the tunnels, peels off it’s “dirt suit”, spreads out its wing pack and escapes from the terror of underground mole creatures or sentient fungi. I’ll leave it to you to write your own cicada-inspired adventure.

This post was semi-fictional (some will get that joke).

Categories
Arts & Crafts

Two Cicada Sculptures at Skylands Museum of Art in Lafayette, NJ

I was driving around Sussex County, New Jersey back in July looking for interesting “attractions near me” (the phrase I put into Google maps), when I came across the search result for the Skylands Museum of Art in Lafayette, NJ. In the result there was a huge sculpture of a cicada! Considering that I am a fan (some say maniac) of cicadas, I drove to the museum to check it out.

The Skylands Museum of Art is located at 15 Route 15 Lafayette, NJ 07848. The website for the museum is https://www.skylandsmuseum.org. It has 3 floors and 9 rooms of sculptures and fine art paintings, including several cicada sculptures. I recommend that everyone visit the museum, not just cicada enthusiasts — it is truly a “gem” in the heart of Sussex County.

The cicada sculpture that drew me to the museum is by sculptor Gina Miccinilli and it is called “Sacada”. Imagine a human-sized cicada with purple wings, filling the museum wall. Take a look at the photos below:

IMG_0805 Gina Miccinilli cicada sculpture

IMG_0835 Gina Miccinilli

There were other cicada sculptures on the museum grounds, including a large, bronze cicada by Ailene Fields. See the photos below:

IMG_0843 Ailene Fields

IMG_0844 Ailene Fields

Categories
Japan Toys and Amusements

Cicada Nymph + Molted Cicada Stuffed Animal / Plushie might be the best cicada gift ever

This “stuffed animal” / plushy cicada nymph + molted cicada might be the best cicada gift ever. Why?? It is two cicadas in one! It is a nymph that unzips to reveal an adult cicada! The adult cicada is in its soft aka teneral state. Very detailed and thoughtful on the part of its creators. The website that offers it is in Japan, so you might have trouble ordering it (unless you are in Japan). I bet it is high demand!

Nymph Plush

Nymph Plush

Nymph Plush

Some details from the site (translated by Google Chrome, so there might be errors):

A cicada made from a cicada’s exoskeleton! A stuffed animal.
☆Can hatch in a reversible form!
☆Huge size!
Selling price 3,520 yen (tax included)
Category Insect plush toys
Manufacturer Eisho Co., Ltd.
[A cicada made from a cicada’s exoskeleton! A stuffed toy]
This is a reversible plush toy featuring a cicada emerging from its molted exoskeleton.
The larva is incredibly realistic with its intricate details, and its big, round eyes are adorable!

Categories
Fireworks U.S.A.

Fourth of July / Independence Day in the U.S. means Summer Cicadas

First, of all, over on the Facebook page we shared Annette DeGiovine’s 4th of July Magicicada image:

“Oh, I don’t have a Facebook”. I don’t know what to tell you. Send your parents to Facebook and have them download the photo for you. I am not in love with the site either, but it allows me to stay in touch with cicada fans and share the cicada message. There is also the Facebook Cicada Science and Discussion Group — a group I created and can moderate, but Facebook as banned me from posting to.

Check out my Cicada Fireworks posts from previous years. Fireworks makers often name fireworks after cicadas because they both “fly” and “SCREAMMMM”.

Lastly, now that we’re in July, it is time for Summer Cicadas in the U.S.A! Any Magicicada stragglers are gone, and Platypedia (the fisherman’s friend) and tiny Cicadettana have peaked. It’s time for the big Megatibicen and Neotibicen species to take the stage. Here’s a list of the most-common cicadas in the U.S.A. with photos and sounds for easy identification.

Categories
Fiji Periodical Raiateana Stamps Tacuini (Cryptotympanini)

The Nanai Cicadas of Fiji are back after 8-years! Fiji is issuing stamps to celebrate

The Nanai cicadas (Raiateana knowlesi (Distant, 1907)) of Fiji are back after 8-years, and Fiji is issuing stamps to celebrate their emergence.

Update! If you want to see what the Nanai look like, visit the Cicada Discussion, Science and Study Group on Facebook and view Elias Bonaro’s 9/22 post.

Nanai cicadas are special because they have an 8-year periodical cycle. They are found in the hills of Viti Levu island of the Fiji archipelago. They are also special because of the Legend of The Nanai and their importance to Fijian culture.

2025 Nanai Stamps

2025 Nanai stamps will be available from Post Fiji Pte Limited. They start shipping on the 25th of September (new date). See this BROCHURE – THE NANAI EMERGENCE for more information.

FDC - The Nanai Emergence

Nanai brochure cover

Nanai Cicadas Stamps from 2009

Here’s an image of Nanai stamps from 2009 (or maybe 2010):

Nanai stamps

More information about the Nanai

How do the Nanai (Raiateana knowlesi) compare to other cicadas around the world

The Nanai are similar to Magicicada cicadas in the United States in that they have precise periodic lifecycles. Nanai have 8-year cycles and Magicicada have 13 or 17-year cycles.

The Nanai are similar to North American Dog-Day cicadas, European Lyristes plebejus, and the Tacua speciosa of Malaysia & Indonesia, in that they belong to the same Tribe (Tacuini) and share similar anatomy like hidden tympani (the noise makers).

Categories
Exuvia Toys and Amusements

Cicada Sniper Gashapon Toy

I spotted this odd gashapon (Japanese gumball machine) toy featuring a cicada exuvia with a sniper molting from it on Aliexpress.

Gashapon toy

Categories
Folklore

A Basic Guide to the Meaning of the Letters on Cicada Wings

This is a web version of this old PDF.

There is an “old wives tale” that says that if you see a “W” on a cicada’s wing that there will be war, and if you see a “P” there will be peace. What you see is in the eyes of the “bugholder”, but I’ve personally only seen a “W”, which almost seems logical, because there is always a war going on somewhere.

Here's a basic guide to the Letters and what they mean: A "W" means War.

A "p" means Peace, or maybe Plague. An "M" means More Cicadas! A Lighting Bolt shape means Taking Care of Business Quickly. A "7" means Zombies!! An "R" means the Rapture!!!

A series of bars is an indication of how strong your cell phone signal is.

Categories
Books Fly Fishing

Cicada Madness, a new cicada-themed fly fishing book

Cicadas are a favorite food of fish, so anglers use lures that emulate cicadas. When there is a large emergence aka “hatch” of cicadas, it can drive the fish into a feeding frenzy, which anglers take advantage of.

There’s a new book called Cicada Madness by author Dave Zielinski that focuses on “timing, fishing techniques, and patterns for cracking the code of epic emergences”. The book features images by myself, Roy Troutman, and others. The book is 164 pages long and features 39 pages of fly patterns.

cicada madness

Categories
Fly Fishing Okanagana Platypedia U.S.A.

Okanagana & Platypedia of Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Utah

CGWiber of the Dutch John Resort of Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Utah, sent us these cicada photos. CGWiber enjoys fly fishing and “matching the hatch”, which means using fly fishing lures that match the characteristics of cicadas. Cicadas are a favorite food of game fish like trout. They can have years of great abundance. You’ll find them near water because there is more vegetation near water, which is why fish get ahold of them.

Okanagana cicada. It looks like Okanagana magnifica, but I’m not sure.
Okanagana

Okanagana cicada. Looks like Okanagana magnifica. It is about the length of two human phalanges:
Okanagana

Platypedia cicada.
Platypedia

Platypedia cicada. See how tiny they can be? Smaller than one human phalanx.
Platypedia

Okanagana and Platypedia are visually similar.
With few exceptions, both cicadas are primarily black with orange or beige highlights, both can be “hairy”, and both are common west of the Mississippi.

Platypedia tend to be smaller than Okanagana, many have a line down their pronotum, and they make sound by clapping their wings against their bodies. Okanagana make sound by vibrating their tymbals.

Thanks to cicada researcher Jeff Cole, Ph.D., for this tip: “From the side with the wings folded Platypedia have the node on the forewing way out towards the apex, while Okanagana and Tibicinoides will have the node located more or less in the middle of the wing.”

Categories
Arts & Crafts

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Created Cicada Images, DALL-E 3, Bing Image Creator

Use of AI image software like DALL-E 3 is exploding. I used Bing’s version of DALL-E 3 called Bing Image Creator to create some images of cicadas. I am impressed. And maybe a little bit worried for artists and designers.

AI created Lego Cicada

AI created Lego Cicada

AI Cicada Eating Pizza (cicadas do not eat pizza)

AI Cicada Eating Pizza

AI Cicada Halloween Party

AI Halloween Party

AI Cicadas in Space in the style of a 1980s neon poster

AI Neon Cicadas

AI Cicada statue

AI Cicada statue